{"id":918,"date":"2025-03-03T15:00:14","date_gmt":"2025-03-03T14:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/2025\/03\/03\/atelier1-reglmentation-mise-en-conformite-esg-une-opportunite-pour-transformer-les-modeles-daffaires\/"},"modified":"2025-03-12T17:54:41","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T16:54:41","slug":"atelier1-reglmentation-esg-compliance-an-opportunity-to-transform-business-models","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/2025\/03\/03\/atelier1-reglmentation-esg-compliance-an-opportunity-to-transform-business-models\/","title":{"rendered":"ESG compliance: an opportunity to transform business models"},"content":{"rendered":" \n
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On January 29, the first workshop of the working group “ESG Governance as a Lever for Business Transformation,” co-led by Osapiens in partnership with ID, l’Info Durable, and L’Agefi, brought together several experts to explore a key issue: how to move beyond regulatory constraints and make ESG a true driver of business transformation.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n\n

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“How does the desire of companies to transform in order to better integrate ESG challenges come about?” This question marked the beginning of the first workshop of the working group “ESG Governance as a Leverage for Business Transformation,” co-led by Osapiens. On January 29, several experts gathered to explore the triggers of this transformation and the levers that allow governance to be adapted to these issues.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n\n\n

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Three main factors have been identified as drivers of this change. The first, “unfortunately too rare,” relies on a leader or a team convinced of the need to transform their business model to “respect planetary boundaries or align with the logic of the Doughnut theory,” explains J\u00e9r\u00e9mie Joos, ESG Partner at KPMG. “These leaders are fully aware of sustainability challenges but often feel like they’re swimming against the tide and encounter internal resistance. Their challenge is to bring their executive committee, shareholders, or investors on board.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others, however, only grasp these challenges when faced with a crisis. “Some companies only integrate these issues after a shock,” illustrates J\u00e9r\u00e9mie Joos, citing the example of a leader who, while traveling in Brazil, encountered a harsh reality: his factory had shut down due to a lack of water. “In such situations, companies first look for solutions to adapt before, sometimes, embarking on a deeper transformation.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regulatory Entry Point<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But for many companies, it’s now regulations that serve as the trigger. The CSRD is a good example, with visible effects from the first wave of compliance. “At first, the goal is often just to tick the box. But this can quickly become a transformation opportunity,” observes J\u00e9r\u00e9mie Joos. “With several clients, we launched analyses based on double materiality to assess their exposure to climate risks. Once we map these issues and, importantly, quantify them in euros, we start strategic discussions about value chains and business models.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To convince management to go beyond minimal compliance and initiate genuine transformations, the financial angle often remains decisive. “CSR transformations are still too often seen as a cost. However, it’s essential to measure their impact in terms of ROI, protected value, and long-term value creation,” stresses J\u00e9r\u00e9mie Joos. “CSR will only become a real corporate issue when board members see it as a performance lever in its own right. Therefore, it needs to be monitored just like financial indicators, so it becomes everyone\u2019s responsibility.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Regulatory support can be the starting point for a genuine reflection on business models,” emphasizes Cindy David, Senior Manager in sustainability and sustainable performance consulting at I Care by BearingPoint. “Explaining that better sourcing reduces costs and improves profitability will resonate with a purchasing manager. It’s by translating these issues into financial terms that we often manage to convince, especially the less engaged.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While these transformations are often approached from the risk management angle, they can also offer real opportunities for business models. “For example, the circular economy can serve as a tool for preventing certain risks, like those related to access to raw materials, while opening the door to new business models aligned with consumer expectations,” continues Cindy David.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adapting Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For these transformations to be effective, they must be embedded in an organization capable of supporting them in the long term. “Today, every company is based on traditional governance \u2013 board of directors, supervisory board, executive committee… Often, the question is less about creating new bodies than about figuring out how to leverage existing governance to structure decisions, disseminate knowledge, and engage teams,” says J\u00e9r\u00e9mie Joos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s therefore crucial that these issues are not confined to a handful of experts or a dedicated committee, stresses Cindy David: “They need to be embodied and spread throughout all levels, even without an official CSR committee, otherwise it won’t work. A smooth dialogue between top management and the field is essential: management drives change but must also listen to alerts and weak signals to inform decisions from the executive committee and the board of directors.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some alternative models, like mission-driven companies, are rethinking governance by incorporating specific mechanisms such as mission committees, adds J\u00e9r\u00e9mie Joos. “This model provides new insight: it’s not just about good governance but about corporate sustainability.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Training Employees<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But rethinking governance isn’t enough if the leadership teams are not trained on these issues. “There\u2019s a real need to train board members,” stresses J\u00e9r\u00e9mie Joos. “We analyzed the role of CSR directors within our clients’ executive committees. The result: more than half come from communications and don’t sit on the executive committee. Moreover, they are often attached to HR, communications, or institutional relations. Significant pedagogical efforts are still needed to raise awareness among boards about these topics.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This upskilling cannot be limited to the leadership. For transformation to take root across the company, it must also involve employees. “A three-hour Climate Fresco is not enough; there must be real training plans and structured courses,” warns Cindy David, citing initiatives developed by certain professional federations: “They have the advantage of adopting a holistic approach, addressing all issues, well beyond just climate.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This is not just a CSR issue, but an issue of the company\u2019s sustainability. All functions must realize their role in the evolution of the business model. The CSR department stokes the fire and provides methodological support, but it\u2019s not more their issue than the CFO’s \u2013 quite the opposite,” clarifies Fabrice Bonnifet, President of the College of Sustainable Development Directors (C3D), who further emphasizes the need to rethink business models entirely: “We won\u2019t achieve green growth at the scale needed to meet decarbonization goals. It\u2019s unrealistic to keep promising high profitability to investors without first carefully assessing the consequences of synchronizing the economy within planetary boundaries.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rethinking Models<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This change involves civilization choices: defining what needs to be preserved, improved, or slowed down. “The idea that performance should only be financial must evolve,” highlights Fabrice Bonnifet. “Today, it is primarily measured by ROI and cash flows, but we must quickly change the compass and prioritize the determinants of business model resilience, which are the real guarantee of sustainability. The company will also need to prove it relies on governance that integrates non-contractual stakeholders, including representatives of life, and that its purpose truly addresses essential needs.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To support this transformation, C3D and a group of partners will launch GenAct on March 14, an association aimed at bringing together all employees \u2013 beyond CSR directors \u2013 “wishing to act in their sphere of influence to promote regenerative economic models.” It will rely on ten commandments derived from scientific work, details Fabrice Bonnifet: “The first issue will be to question the company\u2019s purpose: do its products and services meet essential needs?” Another key focus: ensuring the model incorporates the functionality economy and the intensification of use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This dynamic must be supported by concrete tools to measure and steer this transformation. That\u2019s why C3D and GenAct advocate for the emergence of multi-capital accounting, which will allow us to preserve natural capital at the cost of maintenance, as this is the only way to hope to sustain the economy,” illustrates Fabrice Bonnifet. A true “pedagogical shock” is necessary to drive these changes, he continues: “Scientists have been sounding the alarm for 50 years, with little effect on public policies or business activities. We need to change our approach and stop explaining the problem only through the consequences of inaction, but through the opportunities associated with the creation of extended value.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Written by Max Morgene.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Three main factors have been identified as drivers of this change. The first, “unfortunately too rare,” relies on a leader or a team convinced of the need to transform their business model to “respect planetary boundaries or align with the logic of the Doughnut theory,” explains J\u00e9r\u00e9mie Joos, ESG Partner at KPMG. “These leaders are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":842,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-regulation"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=918"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/918\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":920,"href":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/918\/revisions\/920"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/842"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}